Noche

Chapters:

When the lights go out, the terrors come on.
Everything bad and sick come out to play. To run wild and destroy
everything. Dreams. That's where these things are found. The
creatures of devastation, the terrors of the subconscious. A fake
reality. So real, sometimes life itself feels like the
dream.

The only time the monsters cant get you is when
you're awake. The light. The savior. The one thing that cant harm
you, in the moment. People fear the dark, but live in the light,
but they don't fear the dark for the right reason. They fear the
things the dark can crate, not the things that are actually in
the dark.

Every time Lizzy closes her eyes, she sees them.
The monsters. The things you should fear. But nobody understands.
She isn't crazy, as she is told. The things she sees are real,
even though it's all gone as soon as she wakes up. All she can
hope is to wake before the nightmare becomes tragic.

She gasped, pulling herself into a sitting
position as she began to cry. It had happened again. She winced
as she balled up her fists, glancing at her forearm. Another
wound had appeared. The same spot that she had been cut in the
dream. Lizzy looked at the digital clock on the stand next to
her. It was almost five in the morning. She had two hours before
school started for the day. Friday. The worst day of the
week.

Every Friday at her school was spirit day. The day
where her dull black clothes would stand out from all the other
assorted walking rainbows. She dressed as she felt inside. Cold
and alone. So black fit the emotions perfectly. Others called her
goth, or emo, but she called it expression.

Lizzy placed both feet on the floor and flicked
the light switch as she stood. She gazed at the small, pale,
slender figure looking back at her in the mirror. At the ripped
shorts and tattered top she wore to sleep each night. Afraid to
wear something different for it too would be ruined soon. She
looked over her body at all the scars of where past wounds have
been. Some barley visible, some recognizable from afar. She ran
her fingers over the new wound on her forearm. It was still
bleeding.

Lizzy walked out of her small room to the bathroom
directly across the hall. The small bathroom was dark. She
hesitantly waited outside the door as if waiting for something,
someone to tell her it was safe, or a light to come on. After a
moment she reached her and around the wall and flicked the
switch. She flinched as the light came on, revealing the room was
empty. Lizzy stood close looking into the mirror as he black hair
fell over her untouched face, pale with no scars.

She opened the medicine cabinet and grabbed out
the roll of gauze, medical tape and peroxide. She poured peroxide
over the wound and watched the white bubbles disinfectant the
horror from her slumber. The peroxide removed the bacteria, but
could never begin to remove the memory of terror she would keep
forever. When the bubbles disappeared, she wrapped the gauze
around her arm carefully, as she had done many times before. Then
she wrapped the edges of the gauze with the tape.

Lizzy walked back into her lit room. She opened
her dresser drawer filled to the top with the same style v-neck
black tee shirt. Then to the next drawer down, filled with all
the same but cut black jeans. Then her black socks and sneakers.
She only wore eye liner and clear chap stick.

Lizzy creeper down the hall to the end where the
door had been closed. On the other side of the door lay her
sleeping parents, who knew nothing about their daughter. She
walked down the stairs and out the door to the porch. She held
her red back pack on her lap as she watched the sun come up. The
stone step that she sat on was cold and damp. It was a nice
feeling, any feel besides pain was nice to Lizzy.

She stood up again and walked to the the grass,
falling back onto it. Her hair was wet now, but it felt good
anyway. The blades of grass stuck up, grazing her skin. It
reminded her of the nightmares she had, but this could do no harm
to her compared to the 'dreams' she had. Lizzy sat up. The bus
was almost to her house. She stood up and slowly walked to the
end of the drive way to meet the bus. She lanced into all the
windows as the bus pulled up to her. She took a deep breath in as
she walked through the doors looking for an empty seat. Of
course, all of them had someone in them, but then too, of course,
there sat Zect, the only person who excepted her. The only person
who wasn't scared to be around Lizzy. The only on who
cared.

***

Mren glanced around, looking around for the girl.
"Dammit! Where is she?" He glared at his henchman, though he knew
exactly what happened. "Gone. Of course!" He threw his knife at
the rubble. The same knife used to cut the girl. "Why must she
wake and go from this world?" he looked back at the henchman, who
was leaning down to pick up the knife. "No worries. I will get
her next time."

The henchman looked at Mren puzzled. He looked at
the man who was his leader. Mren's pale white skin seemed to
glisten, despite the dark that enveloped the land of Lizzy's
nightmares. His eyes had dark shadows around them, matching his
thin, black lips. His white hair flowed, which was curious, as
there was barely a breeze. He had a few ear piercings, the metal
running up the cartilage around the curve of his ear. His first
two fingers on his left hand had extensions, making them almost
twice as long, with sharp tips at the end. He was clothed in
white, though there were splashes of blood down his coat. His
left hand had a red tattoo of a skull with the carnal direction
arrows attached to a circle surrounding the skull.

"Don't look so stupid. You are the reason
she got away after all. I do not like to have that kind of bad
company." Mren pushed back the right side of this long coat to
reveal the sheath and end of a sword. In one swift motion Mren
drew his sword, slashing across the back of the henchman, killing
him. He wiped the blood from his sword and placed it back into
its sheath. "Now all that's left to do is wait to see where she
shows up when she comes back." He knelt down beside the limp body
of who used to be a partner. "What a shame you wont be able to
see what happens next. But that is your fault."

***

Lizzy looked at Zect. She studied his happy face,
well happy to her. Zect was a lot like Lizzy, kinda. He wore the
same clothes, the same pale skin, the only difference, the
torture. Zect didn't have Lizzy's dreams. He never understood her
when she talked about them either, but he listened anyway. He
thought she made up the dreams to cover up the truth, that she
cut herself, that the only reason she had the cuts and
scares were due to her own ill judgment, but he would
never say that to her. He knew just as well that sometimes the
stories that hide the truth, no matter how bad, could be sweeter
than the reality.

"So," Zect started looking down at Lizzy's arm.
"another bad dream?" Lizzy looked at him and grinned a little.
She liked the fact that he would ask it that way instead of the
usual, 'looks like the goth played the skin violin', or the,
'wonder who left the knife out this time', whispers that she
would hear in the halls.

"Yeah. This one wasn't that bad though. I was only
hit once, and the cut isn't that bad either. Just a little blood.
It was a good thing we had some gauze left." Lizzy looked down at
the nice clean patch job she gave herself. She was proud at how
well she could treat an injury.

"You my friend, should become a doctor." Lizzy
snickered at Zect's remark. Lizzy didn't like people and people
didn't like Lizzy. Although, she had often thought of becoming
one, she knew she would be good at it too. "No. I'm serious.
You'd make a great- no- a fantastic doctor! Every one would want
you to treat them." Lizzy smiled a bit.

"If my dad were here he would tell you to stop
putting ideas in my head and feeding them with empty promises."
Zect frowned. Lizzy looked at him and smiled. "But I think it's
great you have hopes for me, as to where most people don't. Its
sweet." Zect's smile once again returned to his face.

Lizzy raised a brow looking at Zect's attempt at a
straight face. "And that is?"

"What are you wearing to the formal?" Zect smiled.
"Because I would like to go with you. As your boy friend. So,
will you be my girlfriend, and go to the dance with me?" Lizzy's
heart raced. The only thing she would her was the sound lub dub
sound of her heart.

"Of course!" she yelled. "Of course I will! To
both questions! Yes, a million times yes!" Lizzy leaned over and
hugged Zect. With all of her might. She never wanted to let go.
For once, she was truly happy.

Every one else on the bus watched as the two
smiled at each other. Whispers and murmurs filled the air of the
bus. Lizzy and Zect heard all of them. Nothing was too shocking.
They expected comments like 'aw look between the two they could
run their own blood drive' or 'hope they only eat soup around
each other', and many other stupid comments. No one really knew
about Zect. He had cut in the past, but has never done it
recently. To the rest of the people, once you cut, that's all you
are. It's all you do. No one will ever over look it. It is your
life. Which Lizzy knew was not Zect. He didn't cut, and neither
did she, but no one would believe them.

As the bus pulled into the school lot to drop them
off, every one on the best stood up. Despite the drivers warning
to sit back down, no one listened. When the bus came to a
comp;eat stop and the doors opened, Lizzy and Zect then stood up.
The linked hands and walked together, in a line, Lizzy first,
Zect second. Lizzy turned to watch Zect get off the bus. She
loved the way the bright light hit his back hair and made it
shine. His blue eyes were deep and light up her light blue-gray
eyes. The two relinked hands and walked into the school,
together, as one.

Chapter 2

Every spirit Friday comes with a pep assembly at
1:30 pm. Never late, never early. It was 1:25pm, five minutes
until the worst part of the day, followed by the best part of the
day, which was leaving. The teacher sat at her desk looking
around the room, just as Lizzy sat at her desk looking around the
room. The teacher looked for anyone who was done with their work.
Lizzy looked around and tried to guess what most of them were
thinking. Of course though, she really didn't care what any one
of those other people thought. On the other hand, there was one
person in particular, who's thoughts meant a lot to her. Zect's.
Lizzy always loved hearing what her had to say. He had such a
different look on life.

"Alright class. Pass your work to the front and
you are free to go down to the gym when the bell rings." Lizzy
turned to grab the papers from the people behind her as they all
started talking. Lizzy then passed the stack to the person in
front of her and broke the cycle. She remained silent. "Oh. Quiet
down. Quiet down!" The teacher at the class as they all
instantaneously turned silent. "Lizzy you are to report to the
councilors office." Lizzy shook her head as every one starred at
her.

The bell rang and all the students stood up and
ran from the room. Lizzy slowly stood up and walked out the door.
She looked to see Zect standing right outside the door. He had
waited for her, but he heard the announcement. She had to go
somewhere different from where he was going.

"I am going to go with you. I mean hey, it gets me
out of that stupid assembly. That and I really want to go with
you." He took Lizzy by the hand and they two began to walk down
the hall together in the silence created by the lack of kids.
Every one else was already in the gym, eager and enthused about
the assembly. "So what do you think they need you for?"

"Oh," Lizzy rolled her neck. "I don't know. They
always call me down for some stupid reason. It seems like I am
there more than in class. Mr. Edison and I are on a first name
basis now." Lizzy looked at the door that read 'councilor'. She
waited a moment. Then Zect opened the door for her. He held out
his hand indicating her to go in first. Lizzy walked through the
door to see the assistant councilor waiting for her on the
couch.

"Hello Lizzy. Mr. Edison is in the next room
over." She ponied to the other room across the hall and smiled at
Lizzy, then at Zect. Lizzy walked back out the door tot he one
across the hall. That door read 'conference room'. Lizzy took a
deep breath as she walked into the room. Zect followed close
behind.

"Hello Lizzy. Oh. Hello to you too Zect. We, I
mean I only need to speak to Lizzy. You can go Zect." Lizzy took
a seat at the opposite end of the table as Mr. Edison did. Zect
took the seat right next to her.

"So whats up this time John?" Lizzy asked
slouching on the table.

"Lizzy. Some people have brought it to my
attention that you often come in the wounds on your arm and legs.
Some of the staff is worried about you. So we have called in your
mother for an intervention."Lizzy's eyes grew wide. She jumped up
slamming her hands on the table.

"What? No! I don't have a problem!" Mr. Edison got
up from his seat and walked to the second door. As he opened it a
blonde lady in her mid-thirties walked in.

"Hello Elizabeth." The lady said softly and quiet.
She sat herself in the chair next to Mr. Edison. The look on her
face was blank with a hint of sadness.

"Hi mother." Lizzy said rolling her eyes. She felt
this was senseless and stupid. Her mom was a very logical person.
She never believed in dreams or anything of the sort. So it was
always hard for her to address Lizzy, and as a result, she often
tried to ignore her. "Why are you here. You never leave work for
anything. There's no problem here so you can just go
back."

"Lizzy. She is just here to help. We all care
about you and death isn't the answer. There is always good
reasons to live. Don't ever feel like its the only option." Mr.
Edison interjected.

"What?" Lizzy was confused then it clicked. "Kill
myself? Kill myself! I don't want to die!"

"Then why are you doing this?"

"Like you give a shit mom! I know you don't care!
You never listen to me anyway! I have tried to tell you before!"
Lizzy once again slammer her hands on the table.

"Lizzy!" Mr. Edison yelled standing up taking off
his glasses.

"Don't give me that dream shit again! Dreams are
nothing but your subconscious processing information as you
sleep!" Then Lizzy's mom stood up from her seat. "this is a real
problem. Not with your dreams, but a problem with you."
Lizzy stopped. All emotion from her face had gone. She put her
hands at her side.

"You're right. I'm sorry. There is a problem with
me. I'm not the daughter you wanted so of course I'm
defected and there's a problem with me." Lizzy
flung open the door and casually walked out of it. She could hear
her mom yelling at Mr. Edison. Zect ran out of the room after
her. He walked next to her in silence to the end of the
hall.

"What was that? You know what, don't tell me, but
we should go back." Zect hugged her. He held her close and
tight.

"What!" Lizzy yelled pushing him away. "Why the
hell do I want to go back in that room! I don't have any problem
like my mother would love to tell herself!" Lizzy paused and
looked at him. She studied his face. "Unless, you don't believe
me either!" Lizzy stormed back off to the room where her mom was.
"None of you, not a single one of you, fucking believe me!" Zect
ran to her, grabbing her hand.

"No. I do! Well I mean I really want to! Its
just..."

"No, don't even. I know its hard to understand.
And we as humans don't except what we cant understand." Lizzy
walked with her head down. She took a deep breath and walked back
into the room. Her mother was once again sitting as was Mr.
Edison.

"It has been decided. You will spend tonight in
the psych ward. Your mother and I think its the best for you in
your mental state." Mr. Edison stated like it was no big deal.
Lizzy was going to have to sleep in a room where people could see
her at all times, they would see her problem.

"A psych ward! I am not a crazy! I don't want to
spend the night around a bunch of other people who will treat me
like you do!" Lizzy screamed for the entire building to
hear.

"Fine. If it will make you all happy." Lizzy felt
that if she conformed they might realize just what they wanted
her to do and snap out of it.

"Good then. We can all go together." Mr. Edison
looked at Lizzy then to Zect. "If that's pkay with you Lizzy?"
Lizzy's mind was spinning. How could these people who say they
love her want to send her away.

"We can all go, but I will only allow Mr. John
Edison to go in the ward with me." Lizzy sat down in the chair in
front of her. Her mother looked at her lost. Her facial
expression was a mix of disgust and disbelief.

"Listen here Lizzy I am your mother! I have every
right to go in there with you! I am going!" Her mother slammer
her fists on the table and screamed. Lizzy sat still and
motionless, as if trying not to spook a baby animal.

"No, you're not." Lizzy's sweet tone soothed the
tension in the air, but not the tension in her mothers mind. "I
only want Mr. Edison to go in there. I trust John, and her knows
how to make sure I will be safe there."

"John! What the hell is this? First names! I am
going I don't give a-" Mr. Edison placed his hand over her
mouth.

"This is going to change Lizzy's life. Not yours.
You have no say. So hush up or get out of my school." Mr. Edison
fallowed in Lizzy's ways. He kept calm and relaxed.

"Fine then. I am leaving. I want nothing more to
do with this matter. Call me when she gets out." Lizzy's mom
stormed out of the room. Her head held high, and her pride
bleeding through like the air she walked in. As glared at Lizzy
as she passed her by. Never once unlocking eyes.

"Bye Karin." Lizzy said waving at her mother as
she walked passed. When she realized Lizzy called her by her
first name she hurried her pace. When she reached the door she
turned back to look at the blank faces of the crowd in the room.
Not seeing the anger she hoped for, she walked out of the room
slamming the door behind her.

Chapter 3

The scene was set like a horror film. The main
building of the ward was huge. A few windows on each floor, all
of which had bars over them. The building was made of white, the
'calm' colored brick. All the trees surrounding the building were
dead, some for longer than others. The naked branches of the
trees let the sight of the crows through, about ten per
tree.

Most of the grass was dead, brown and lifeless.
The air was cool and damp, but felt different to the skins touch,
as if it fell in layers like a coat. Scattered throughout the
vast lands of dead grass was what seemed to be unmarked graves,
that were made apparent to be 'random stones' when someone asked
what they were. The path to the front door was made of cold,
black stones. The door itself was the creepiest part of it all.
It was made of wood, but in scattered places were patches of red.
Some of the shades darker than the other.

"Are you sure places like this are still legal?"
Lizzy observed the surrounding area. She didn't think the health
department or humane projects would let this place run. As she
was about to run her fingers along a particular patch of red, she
heard the heavy lock from inside the door unlock. She jolted back
along side John, who chuckled.

"Don't worry, the inside is newer than the
outside. Its meant to look creepy so kids don't try to vandalize.
You will be safe here I promise." He smiled down at Lizzy who had
a hard time believing him. She knew that no matter what happened
there was no escaping what was a part of you. The dreams were in
her, so where she went, they went. She could never be free, not
here, not ever.

"John Edison, its been a while." The voice from
the intercom outside the door was deep. He had the voice of a
person you never wanted to mess with. "Come on in." The door flew
open and there stood a man with dark brown hair and green eyes.
He wore a white lab coat that went down to just above the knee.
He held his hands in his pockets by his hips. Lizzy could smell
the inside of the building. Formaldehyde and bleach. Just like
the morgue. She noticed the man watching her as she observed him.
He was looking at her as she looked at him, almost as if they
were connected.

"well this is Liz-"

"You're and odd one, aren't you?" The man in the
lab coat interrupted the intro John started. "Tell me dear, what
is your name?

"Lizzy." Lizzy looked him over giving one last
assessment of him. "I feel that's really all you really need to
know at this point." The man looked at her, also making his final
conclusion on the odd girl.

"I know a lot more than you told." He looked at
Mr. Edison, then back at Lizzy. "I am Dr. Mrensey. Nice to meet
you Lizzy." Dr. Mernsey looked back up at John. He angled his
head and whispered trying not to let Lizzy hear, but she listened
in anyway. "Why is she here. The only problem she appears to have
is cutting. A lot of people her age do it. All she needs is a
little intervention and then a few steps in the right direction,
and shes fixed." He smiled down at her before looking back at
John for his response.

"Kelvin, she claims she didn't do that to herself,
she says the people in her dreams do it to her. I have tried a
few different councilors, but none of them could break through to
her. I even tried hypnosis, nothing has worked. So I wanted to
put her here for your input on her. See what you can do. You
still owe me one. So you cant refuse." Mr. Edison looked down at
Lizzy who was playing with her thumbs. He smiled, even though she
wasn't looking.

"Fine. I would be happy to do this for you." He
shook hands with John then looked back at Lizzy. "Okay Lizzy. You
are going to come with me. I will get you all set up." He held
out his hand. Lizzy looked to Mr. Edison for approval before
taking this Dr. Mrensey's hand. When he nodded she took it
and watched as they turned to walk in the building and John go to
his car.

"So. Is this like a jail? We all have rooms and
that's that? Or can we roam around?" The doctor looked down at
her. He grinned. He observed the wrist to the hand he was
holding, it was the one with the newest cut on it. The he
chuckled.

"No no," he started. "don't think of this as a
jail, but its also nit a free for all. We have rules, but this
isn't like a dictatorship. Some people here you cant socialize
with but others have their own rooms. Those ones are not to be
talked to. But! don't worry about them cause you wont get the
chance to ever see them anyways!" He looked at the hall head and
stopped talking. Lizzy looked ahead and only saw her own version
of hell. She didn't feel safe with this 'doctor' man, or in this
'new' facility. She felt more like a test subject.

The stopped at the first door about half way down
the hall. The door tag said 'changing' area. As Mrensey opened
the door Lizzy noticed the rack of all white clothes and a cheep
pair of white slippers. She was right, this was jail. They all
were stripped of their belongings and self expression. He walked
over to the rack humming as he looked through the different sizes
of white tops and pants.

"Here. Take these." He said as he threw the pile
of clothes he had at Lizzy. She took a step foreword and caught
them. Then she looked up at him frowning. He then pointed to the
corner of the room that had been tarpped off. So far the light
lube tarp was the only colored thing in the building. "You may
change behind that." Lizzy slowly walked to the tarp while
looking back at the doctor who was looking at the rack of clothes
again.

"Thank you." Lizzy said as she was changing,
although she wasn't thankful at all. She would much rather be
home putting on her normal tattered pajamas about ready to get
into her normal bed. She walked out from around the tarp holding
her folded clothes in her arms.

"Oh here. Allow me to take those. And you're
welcome." he placed her clothes in a plastic bag and zipped it
shut. He then placed a hose tube in the bag and sucked out all
the air. He slipped the bag on the middles shelf of the rack.
"There. They will stay there for safe keeping. Are you tired? Its
almost time for quiet hours here." Dr. Mrensey started to the
door. He glanced back at Lizzy who was trapped in a daze by the
window, which was bared off. "This way please. We must get you to
your room quickly. We don't want to wake your roommate by coming
in after quite hours now would we. I want you to make the best
first impression possible." He smiled at Lizzy who could care
less about anything.

"Okay. Sure." Lizzy followed him to the door and
back into the dully hallway. It amazed her, but also made sense.
They way the halls were. Constantly twisting and turning leading
to dead ends and more halls with doors, all the same color. It,
however, in her mind, served a porpoise. If a mental patient were
to get out the dull color and many halls would confuse them
slowing them down, making it easier to catch them. When she
looked up at the doctor from her clouded thoughts, they stood in
front of a large door.

"Here we are." As he opened the door, Lizzy
noticed a girl, about 17 sitting on the bottom bunk. Her blonde
hair cascading over her face. She looked up at the both of them
and stood up. She then smiled and climbed to the top bunk. "Go in
Lizzy. I'll be back to check on you in a bit. Good night..." He
shoved Lizzy though the door and slammed it behind her. Lizzy
lost her balance and dropped to the floor. The blonde girl jumped
down from the bunk to help her up.

"Are you okay?" the girls words came out soft and
sweet. Her voice was meek and childlike, pure, innocent, although
that was far from the truth. She grabbed Lizzy's arm and helped
pull her up. She gasped when she saw her scars.

"I'm fine." Lizzy said looking at her wrist.
"Sorry you had to see that. My name is Lizzy." She held her hand
out to the nimble blonde girl. Lizzy's eyes starred deep into the
other girls. The girl smiled back at her.

"I am Noma." She pulled up her sleeve showing her
white skin. "I have a few more than you. Its okay!" both of her
arms had been covered from wrist to elbow in scars. Then Noma
looked at Lizzy puzzled, then it clicked. "We're a lot alike you
know." She took Lizzy's hand looking at her wrist. "These cant be
self inflicted. So with that, I just wanna say, they are what you
make them. They may be real, and that you cant change, but that
doesn't matter if you can change it so much they cant touch you."
Lizzy snatched her wrist.

"Wait! Do you have the same problem as I do? What
does that mean!" Noma's face had gone blank. Then a blinkk
changed that.

"I don't have a problem. The only problem I see is
you." Lizzy's eyes widened. She had no clue was was going on.
Then the blank stare was back, this time it was more of a gaze.
She blinked and looked at Lizzy's confused face. "Is something
wrong?" Noma giggled a little.

"Are you okay?" Lizzy asked with her jaw to the
floor in confusion.

"Why wouldn't I be okay? Does something seem
wron-" She stopped and looked a Lizzy's hair. "Your hair is so
pretty! Can I braid it?" Noma ran over to her and began to braid
all of her hair to the back of her head in a tight french
braid.

"Whats going on?" Lizzy asked not moving her head
to look at her.

"I guess you've seen them by now or you wouldn't
be asking." The same tone in her voice had returned as the time
she told her about her problems.

"What, I have no idea I am so lost."

"Well, I'm not just here for fun. I hate this hell
hole. Its a piece of shit if you ask me. I mean establishment my
ass." she held the braid in her hand and looked around to see
Lizzy's face. "Aside from the cuts I have a multi-personality
disorder. There are many people in me I can't control. You have
probably seen them judging by your face. I am the original. This
was my personality before they came along. I was level headed and
had a future. Then the ass hole side was the next to come. She
was snotty and arrogant. People hated her and I lost everything I
worked for over her. That made me sad and wanting a change, so
along came little clueless me. The one who probably wanted to
braid your hair in the first place."

"So you cant control them?" Noma chucked.

"No, not really. I mean they are like two other
people acting under their own independence. I can try to hold
them back, but that only works for a while. I don't mind anymore
what they do. I am always alone, they don't want to give me a
roommate, so I'm shocked you're here."

"You said something about being alike. You knew
about my scars and stuff. How?"

"Well its not that hard. I mean those are some
heavy stuff. I don't know anyone who could go that deep and hard
on themselves. And, they are every where. No one in their right
minds would put them all over where anyone could see them. And
hey, I had that dream thing too." Lizzy's face lit up.

"You do!" she jumped up turning to face Noma right
as she finished the braid.

"Hey hey, just sit down." Noma stood up then
jumped on the top bunk of the bed and sat down.

"I said used to." Lizzy jumped up sitting next to
her. "I stopped."

"How?"

"Why should I tell you rat. Its not like it
matters to you. Its my damn life so jack off and live your own."
Lizzy caught it. Personality change. "But hey, I'll tell you.
Noma stopped having those dreams when I came along. I protect
her. I am the tough side of her. I fight off the demons inside.
After I could tell she was still not happy. Then I made the other
one, the little kid-ish part. She was made to lighten
Noma."

"So all I have to do is form a personality, a new
one, that will get rid of the problem?"
"No, thats not what I'm saying at all, and just saying that makes
you sound crazy. But remember what she told you. They are what
you make them. The only reason they can hurt you is because you
only try to run you don't turn to fight them."

***

"I can feel it. Shes about to return." A woman
rose up from the rock she had been sitting on. "This time I wont
let him stop me from getting to her, she will be mine." Her
blonde hair flowed in the wind. Her blue eyes looked over the
wasteland. The cliff she stood on looked over the entire empire
of dust. The only buildings not completely destroyed were close
to it, except the palace. The palace was maintained to a working
condition. It was located in the middle of the land.

She put her feet to the edge, looked down, then
stepped off the edge. She landed on the back of a large scaled
creature. It looked to be a mix between a dragon and horse. She
pulled on its mane as the great beast flew higher into the
clouds, which held its own relm. This relm was much darker. The
clouds from the ground looked gray almost white, but from the top
their true color shown, black. The dense back color so thick a
castle was built among them. She directed the beast to the castle
by moving its mane in the directing she wanted it to move.